Watch Reviews

Watches, for some of us, become mementos of something we’ve done or somewhere we’ve been. Today it seems painfully appropriate that I am writing about this particular watch; It’s April 15th, 2019 and my afternoon was interrupted by the news that the magnificent Parisian cathedral of Notre Dame had caught fire and was burning.
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A watch never attracted and confused me as much as the heretofore referred to as the “Heavy Metal G.” On the one hand, you have the legendarily well-built G-Shock built into an all-metal case with a nicely finished steel bracelet. On the other hand, you now have a “beater” watch that’s encased in a ...

After years of choosing timepieces based on their durability, it’s finally happened – I find myself in need of a dress watch. While 200-meter monsters like the Casio Duro and still rule my days, there’s now the occasional evening which calls for something a bit more refined.
I’d previously owned an , a $130 ...

Although this particular Seiko wasn’t on my radar, I knew I always wanted to check out one of their divers, or maybe an Alpinist, so when Dan ‘Jackson’ came by my place for a visit and offered one up as a trade it kind of went like this: https://youtu.be/uvqazhJJ01A?t=2
My everyday watch is an Omega Seamaster ...

Formed in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton Watch Company was one of the more notable American watch manufacturing companies, cutting their teeth on pocket watches designed and targeted at the railroad industry they developed a well known and respected business.
When World War 2 started Hamilton retooled and began creating wrist watches, effectively paving the ...

It has been a good while since I last updated my personal watch journey. Some may remember that it all began with the humble Seiko SKX173. That continues to be a great dive watch that can be had for under $250. I also bought a Casio G-Shock, another excellent watch that I still own and ...

For some time now, I’ve been eyeing a return to the world of mechanical watches. Then, a few weeks back, Editor (and apparent mind reader) Dan contacted me with a proposition: “I bought a Seiko SNZG15J1 maybe six months ago… I see the watch every time I open up my closet and thought it might ...

You know what they say about love at first sight? Well, sometimes second sight comes with the benefit of experience, once absence has worked its magic on the heart. (Re)Enter the Casio MDV106-1A “Duro,” a $44, stainless steel dive watch running on batteries and quartz. I owned and sold one of these 20bar bargains ...

I’ll never forget my first time walking into an Omega boutique and looking at all the shiny watches. A friend of mine, the one that initially introduced me to watches, took me there to admire his grail and ultimately discover a few of my own. Since that time I’ve had the privilege of owning and ...

If you don’t have a Casio G-Shock, you don’t have a complete watch collection. I sincerely believe that. Some people would tell you that you need an Omega Speedmaster or a , but let’s realistic about this – those are great watches, but I think one of the foundational cornerstones to any watch collection is ...

Something that comes up surprisingly infrequently when it comes to watches is the question, “What role does this item play in my life?” Timekeeping is the answer less often than I would anticipate. For me however, accuracy and reliability really are paramount. The advent of the quartz movement exemplified that accuracy did not always ...

Generally, when someone gets into watches one of the first places they’re going to go is either Seiko or Citizen. This will generally dictate your brand allegiance from the start and it may prove difficult for you to look elsewhere. Myself, the first watch I ever wore with serious intent was a that I ...

My Dad was a firefighter for his entire adult life. One of the enduring memories I have, as a budding gear-baby, was Dad taking his g-shock off and setting it on the counter. Dad wore the same watch for years, it survived fire, and water, shock, and general abuse galore. Ultimately when Dad retired after ...

The internet is a terrible place. Sure, it’s led to countless advances, enabled markets that never would have existed otherwise, and allows us humans to keep in touch with each other in ways never seen before, but it also pushes me to make stupid decisions with my money on a regular basis. For example: if ...

Nomos Glashutte is a watch brand based in Germany that has made a name for themselves by creating stylized watches that range from casual to dress to even highly complicated. They are known for utilizing their own in-house movements with beautiful finishing visible through sapphire case backs.
Buy the Nomos Club at JomaShop.com
German made watches have ...

In 2007 Steve Jobs got on the stage at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and changed the world with the release of the first iPhone. There are several reasons why the iPhone was revolutionary, but one of the biggest innovations that it brought to the mobile phone landscape was user interface. I believe that Breitling did the ...

There are timepieces that you take on adventures, and then there are timepieces that make whatever you’re doing feel like an adventure. Marathon Watches are the latter in that statement.
When I first started getting into watches I was presented with an opportunity to pickup a Marathon TSAR, which is essentially the quartz version of ...

I’ve stated over and over about how much I love Tudor, and that I think they are a great entrance point into the higher end watch world. Tudor is owned and operated by Rolex, and benefit from that investment into watchmaking.
Buy the Tudor Black Bay at JomaShop
Traditionally Tudor utilized Rolex cases but put in ...

Seiko is easily one of my favorite watch companies in business currently. They are one of the few manufacturers that holds the illustrious distinction of being entirely in-house. Everything from growing their own quartz crystals to making their own o-rings. That’s a distinction that is worth noting.
One of my newer Seiko watches is the ...

I think it’s safe to say that my reviews rarely court controversy. I’ve never had a “Kershaw Cryo” moment a la Everyday Commentary. For the most part, I pick what I review, and I’ve yet to give a product less than a lukewarm reception. Feedback from readers often reinforces my perspective, and in turn gave ...

Watches have been a peculiar journey for me. The first nice watch I bought was an Omega 2534.50 Seamaster. My choice was reasonably arbitrary in that I knew I wanted an Omega and it became available at the right time. However, this wasn’t the watch I really wanted.
A friend of mine had taken me ...

The Bauhaus movement was a focus on radically simplified designs with an emphasis on functionality. The main idea was functionality with a de-emphasis on ornamentation, modernism, and that function should not be separate from form. Max Bill went to the Bauhaus school in Dessau, and was educated under the great minds of Kandinsky, Schlemmer, and ...

Grand Seiko crashed onto the horological scene in 1964 when they released their first mechanical movement. The timing of that release was not coincidence, Japan was hosting the olympic games, and Seiko were to be their official time keepers. At the start of the 18th Olympic Games in Tokyo, Seiko was ready with just over ...

Tudor has become synonymous with “the poor man’s Rolex,” which is a bit of a shame. Tudor has consistently been making their own movements and putting them into their own watch cases for a number of years at this point. Their movements have 72-hr power reserves and some even come COSC certified. With that said, ...

Seiko divers are iconic. Practically every review of a Seiko diver paints a picture of a high value tool watch, and the Seiko SRP779 is no different. The SRP77X line is not a new addition to the catalog, but a reissue of the beloved Seiko 6309 (or “Turtle”). For years, buying a vintage Turtle was ...

Giorgetto Giugiaro is a well known Italian designer. Giugiaro is primarily an automobile designer, and his work includes some iconic cars – most notably might be the Delorean.
But Giorgetto doesn’t just design cars. He also works with Seiko and has designed several watches. His original 7A28-7009 is worn by the character Ripley in James ...

History, provenance, and heritage are all very important factors to watch collectors. We care deeply about where our timepieces came from, what they have historically done, and what elements of those two things are carried on today in their modern offerings.
Stowa is a German watch making company that has been in operation since 1927. ...

In the 1970’s Seiko changed the watch world forever. It’s open to debate whether or not that change was a positive or a negative one, but it was changed nonetheless. It was in 1970 that Seiko unveiled the Astron, the world’s first Quartz electronic watch at Basel World. Switzerland drew back in fear. What followed ...

Over the past few months I have become increasingly interested in vintage watches. My collection has evolved from primarily modern watches, to primarily vintage watches with just a modern watch or two sprinkled in for good balance. And its hard to talk about vintage watches without mentioning Oris.
Buy the Oris Divers Sixty Five at ...

For as long as I can remember, Timex has been the company for budget watches. Their brand is as synonymous with affordable as the Casio G-Shock line is with durable. So when I needed a new watch (as my Bertucci A-2T was out for repair), I knew betting odds would land me with a Weekender ...

I’d like to start this review by noting that I’m not a watch expert. I admire watches, but that admiration has yet to translate into fiscal irresponsibility. (Give it time. -Dan) So take my opinions with a grain of salt, and if I get some of the technical details wrong, kindly give me a heads ...

After I destroyed my Seiko SKX173 digging a ditch in my back yard, I found myself without a watch. I was not in a place financially where I could replace it with another automatic, and the thought of getting it fixed did not cross my mind. So the only thing to do was to find ...

I am going to attempt something different here and write a series of reviews on watches. Being that this is the first watch review in the series, I figured that I might as well start at the beginning – at least in terms of my personal journey with watches. I won’t pretend to be an ...

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Comments

I love my watches but I’m tough on them, I’m an outdoorsman so compass, altimeter, barometer are a great asset, ive had some nice watches tissot t touch inc, that didn’t last 2yrs, my most recent G-Shock gulf master , loved this watch until it also failed just outside two years, no warranty and price to repair cost more than the watch, totally let down on what is supposed to be the toughest watch around, what next?

Mike, I’ve had my Casio DW-5600E for years and I’ve been pretty hard on it. I use it in the gym, for construction projects, etc. It is pretty beaten up at this point. I don’t think you will find a tougher watch. I’d give it a shot. For ~$40 you have little to lose. Let me know if you ever find something tougher. Dan

Mustafa, I think they are both great watches, but they are different styles. Do you want a dive watch? If so, save for the SKX. If you want a slimmer field watch, then the Bertucci A2T is a great choice. The SKX is a bigger watch. Hope this helps.